In Winnipeg, the visiting Washington Capitals’ playoff hopes took a hit on Monday night in a 3-0 loss to the Jets.
Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves in the shutout win.
The Jets improved to 41-18-5.
“Give the guys credit,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “They weren’t very happy with our game in Vancouver (a 5-0 loss to the Canucks on Saturday). They knew they had to bounce back, and they did. It was a solid team effort tonight. That’s what it takes.”
Neal Pionk staked the Jets to a 1-0 lead midway through the opening stanza, scoring off a wrister from the left circle.
In the middle frame, the Jets’ Alex Iafallo extended the advantage to 2-0 scoring off a tip in of a shot from the blue line.
The Caps dropped to 30-24-9, ending a 10-game string going 7-2-1.
“They had the puck for 75 percent of the game,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “That makes it difficult to create any offense, and when we did, not nearly a good enough job getting to the interior. Zero traffic on Hellebuyck, so anything that we did generate scoring chance-wise he saw it clear. Obviously, everybody knows if he sees a shot he’s going to stop it, so it’s not a recipe for success against this team.
“Just right from the start. … When I was standing there watching, it was just bigger, faster, stronger. Every facet, they just were. So, you’ve got to tip your cap, that’s a really good team that just got better with [Tyler] Toffoli and [Sean] Monahan and those guys. It just felt like they were bigger, stronger on pucks, and they were just way quicker than us everywhere.”
In the third period, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor padded the lead at 10:00 of the period, scoring off an odd man rush for the 3-1 final count on the scoreboard.
“I think we were just a little slow supporting each other, not communicating as much,” Capitals forward T.J. Oshie said. “And when you play a team like Winnipeg, they pinch on everything. They’re ultra-aggressive on the forecheck. They’re aggressive in zone. When you don’t have that communication and that close support, it’s tough to make plays and they outnumber you. They’ve got pretty good team speed that once they do turn the puck over there, they’re coming back to our end pretty quick.”
Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves in the loss.
“We were pretty composed and didn’t let the emotions get the best of us,” Connor said. “(We) stayed calm. You know, we gave up a scoring chance right off the start and we just stuck with it. Even when we had turnovers, we were supporting each other, kind of focusing on the next shift.”
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